Golf club, particularly a putter

Abstract

The invention is directed to a golf club head and, more specifically, to a putter. The putter head includes a first body element made of a high density first material, constituting at least the heel portion, the toe portion and a major portion of the surface of the sole, and a second body element intimately linked to the first element, the second element being made of a second metallic material of lower density, the second element covering the remainder of the head including at least the central portion of the striking face thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A putter head delimited by a face, a sole, a rear, a top portion, a heel portion, and an opposite toe portion, said putter head further comprising: (a) a first body element formed of a first metallic material of a high density, said first body element having a U-shaped cavity, said cavity comprising a bottom forming a major portion of said sole, said first body element being extended laterally in the form of two lateral wings extending upwardly and rearwardly forming said heel portion and said toe portion, respectively, of said putter head;     (b) a second body element formed of a second metallic material of a lower density, said second body element having a shape complementary to a shape of said cavity of said first element,   said second body element extending rearwardly in the form of a central portion laterally delimited by said two lateral wings of said first body element,   said second body element being positioned and intimately linked in said cavity of said first body element.     
     
     
       2. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein: said first body element comprises a plurality of connection elements projecting from a surface of the U-shaped cavity, said connection elements facilitating anchoring of said first body element to said second body element and facilitating said intimate connection between said first body element and said second body element.   
     
     
       3. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein: said material of which said second body element is formed comprises a member selected from the group consisting of aluminum and aluminum alloy.   
     
     
       4. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein: said material of which said first body element comprises a member selected from the group consisting of copper and copper alloy.   
     
     
       5. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein: said second body element comprises an outer surface having an upwardly and rearwardly open recess to provide for a reduction in thickness of said second material in a central portion of said putter head.   
     
     
       6. A putter head according to claim 5, wherein: said open recess of said second body element has a curved edge having a concavity directed forwardly toward said face.   
     
     
       7. A putter head according to claim 6, wherein: said curved edge of said open recess is a portion of an arc having a radius of curvature extending from an origin positioned along a line perpendicular to a plane of said face and passing through a center of said face, the radius having a magnitude substantially equal to a magnitude of a radius of a golf hole on a green.   
     
     
       8. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein: said putter head has a perfect symmetry with respect to a vertical median plane passing through a center of said face;   said second body element includes an upwardly open hole in the vicinity of said heel portion of said first body element, said hole being adapted to receive a shaft for said putter head.   
     
     
       9. A putter comprising a putter head according to claim 1, having a shaft connected thereto. 
     
     
       10. A golf club head comprising: a heel portion, a toe portion, and a lower portion connecting said heel portion and said toe portion;   a first part made of a high density material, said first part constituting an outermost end surface of said heel portion and an outermost end surface of said toe portion; and   a second part made of a material having a density less than said density of said first part, said second part being intimately connected to and located between said outermost end surface of said heel portion and said outermost end surface of said toe portion of said first part and forming a remainder of the golf club head not formed by the first part of the head.   
     
     
       11. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said golf club head is a putter head.   
     
     
       12. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said high density material of said first part is a metallic material and said lower density material of said second part is a metallic material.   
     
     
       13. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said golf club head further comprising a forward-facing striking face; and   said second part constitutes at least a central portion of said striking face of the golf club head.   
     
     
       14. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said connecting portion of said first part comprises a major portion of a sole surface of the golf club head.   
     
     
       15. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said second part further comprises an exterior upper central surface of the golf club head.   
     
     
       16. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said first part comprises a member selected from the group consisting of copper and copper alloy.   
     
     
       17. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said second part comprises a member selected from the group consisting of aluminum and aluminum alloy.   
     
     
       18. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: the golf club head has a perfect symmetry with respect to a vertical median plane passing through a center of said face; and   said second part includes an upwardly open hole in the vicinity of said heel portion of said first part, said hole being adapted to receive a shaft for the golf club head.   
     
     
       19. A golf club comprising a golf club head according to claim 10, having a shaft connected thereto. 
     
     
       20. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: one of said first part and said second part includes connection elements unitary with said one of said first part and said second part in intimate connection with a second of said first part and said second part.   
     
     
       21. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said first part and said second part form a completely solid block.   
     
     
       22. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein: said second part is intimately connected to said first part by having been cast in place onto said first part.   
     
     
       23. A golf club head comprising: a first part made of a high density material, said first part constituting a heel portion and a toe portion, including outer lateral end surfaces of said heel portion and said toe portion, and a lower portion connecting said heel portion and said toe portion, said connecting portion of said first part comprises a major portion of a sole surface of the golf club head;   a second part made of a material having a density less than said density of said first part, said second part being intimately connected to said first part and forming a remainder of the golf club head not formed by the first part of the head;   said first part including a U-shaped cavity, said U-shaped cavity comprising (1) a bottom constituted by said connecting portion and (2) a pair of lateral wings constituted by said heel portion and said toe portion; and   said second part having a shape complementary to a shape of said U-shaped cavity of said first part, said second part including a rearwardly extending central portion delimited by said two lateral wings of said first part, said second part being positioned and intimately linked in said U-shaped cavity of said first part.   
     
     
       24. A golf club head according to claim 23, wherein: said bottom of said first part comprises a major portion of said sole surface of said golf club head;   said pair of lateral wings of said first part extend upwardly and rearwardly from said bottom; and   said front portion of said second part constitutes a major portion of a striking face of the golf club head.   
     
     
       25. A golf club head according to claim 23, wherein: said first part comprises a plurality of connection elements projecting from a surface of the U-shaped cavity, said connection elements facilitating said intimate linking of said first part to said second part.   
     
     
       26. A golf club head comprising: a first part made of a high density material, said first part constituting a heel portion and a toe portion, including outer lateral end surfaces of said heel portion and said toe portion, and a lower portion connecting said heel portion and said toe portion;   a second part made of a material having a density less than said density of said first part, said second part being intimately connected to said first part and forming a remainder of the golf club head not formed by the first part of the head;   said second part comprising an outer surface having an upwardly and rearwardly open recess to provide for a reduction in thickness of said second material in a central portion of the golf club head.   
     
     
       27. A golf club head according to claim 26, wherein: said open recess of said second part has a curved edge having a forwardly directed concavity.   
     
     
       28. A golf club head according to claim 27, wherein: said curved edge of said open recess is a portion of an arc having a radius of curvature extending from an origin positioned along a line perpendicular to a plane of a forwardly facing striking face and passing through a center of said face, the radius having a magnitude substantially equal to a magnitude of a radius of a golf hole on a green.